Liquid fuel atomizing attachment for intake manifolds



March 11, 1969 M. J. MEIERBACHTOL 3,432,281

LIQUID FUEL ATOMIZING ATTACHMENT FOR INTAKE MANIFOLDS Filed July 1, 1966Fig.

Fig.3

Mark J. Meierbachtol INVENTOR.

United States Patent 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An elongatedbody journaled within an air and liquid fuel passage for rotation aboutan axis extending transversely through the central portion of thepassage and transversely of the body centrally intermediate its oppositeends. The ends include portions tending to rotate the body in onedirection in response to flow of an airfuel mixture through the passage.A baffle plate is provided in one side of the passage upstream of thebody for deflecting at least a portion of the mixture to the other sideof the passage.

This invention relates to a novel and useful liquid fuel atomizingattachment adapted to be utilized in conjunction with an internalcombustion engine. The attachment of the instant invention includes arotary body adapted for journaled support within an air and fuel inletpassage with the body being mounted for rotation about an axis extendingtransversely of the passage and adapted to impact with liquid fueldroplets moving through the passage and also cause turbulence within thepassage so as to more completely atomize and vaporize the liquid fuel.

The body of the attachment is in the form of an elongated panel andincludes portions at its opposite ends which are perforated and adaptedto more completely atomize droplets of liquid fuel passing through theassociated air and fuel inlet passage.

The atomizing attachment of the instant invention is operativelyassociated with the corresponding liquid fuel and air passage in amanner such that the rotational speed of the body of the attachment willincrease as the flow of air and fuel through the passage increases.

The main object of this invention is to provide an atomizing attachmentfor operative association with an internal combustion engine and whichwill function to more finely atomize droplets of liquid fuel passingthrough the associated intake passage.

Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment for aninternal combustion engine which will, by enabling a more finelyatomized liquid fuel and air mixture to be supplied to the internalcombustion engine, operate as a means to afford for more completecombustion of the air and fuel mixture in the combustion chambers of theassociated engine thereby rendering the exhaust of the combustion engineless likely to contribute to smog conditions.

Yet another object of this invention, in accordance with the precedingobjects, is to provide an atomizing attachment which, by providing amore completely atomized air and liquid fuel mixture to the associatedinlet passage and affording more complete combustion of the air and fuelmixture in the associated combustion chambers, enable the associatedinternal combustion engine to propel the vehicle powered thereby agreater distance on a given amount of fuel.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein isto provide an atomizing attachment which will conform to conventionalforms of manufacture, be of simple construction and automatic inoperation so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible,long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken through aportion of an air and fuel inlet passage of an internal combustionengine and illustrating the atomizing attachment of the inventionoperatively associated with the air and fuel passage;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantiallyupon the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view takensubstantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIGURE1;

FIGURE 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view takensubstantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIGURE1; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken sub stantially upon theplane indicated by the section line 55 of FIGURE 4.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generallydesignates a conventional form of internal combustion engine inclding anintake manifold 12 and a carburetor 14. The carburetor 14 has an air andfuel passage section 16 extending therethrough and the outlet end of thesection 16 is registered with an air and fuel passage section 18extending through the intake manifold 12. The sections 16 and 18comprise portions of the air and fuel inlet passage of the internalcombustion engine and it is to be noted that the carburetor 14 includesa mounting flange portion 20 by which the carburetor 14 is removablysecured to the manifold 12 by means of any suitable fasteners (notshown), a suitable somewhat resilient and deformable gasket 22 beingdisposed between the opposing surfaces of the mounting flange 20 and theintake manifold 12.

The atomizing attachment of the instant invention is geerally designatedby the reference numeral 24 and includes a mounting frame 26 defined bya pair of generally parallel panel-like arms 28 including oppositelydirected flange portions 30 on one pair of corresponding ends, the freeends of the flange portions 30 being disposed between adjacent layeredplies of the resilient gasket 22.

An axle member 32 including diamtrically reduced opposite end portions34 is supported from the lower ends of the arms 28 for rotation relativethereto, the end portions 34 being rotatably received through suitableapertures 36 provided therefor in the arms 28. In addition, ananti-friction washer.38 is disposed on each end portion 34 inwardly ofthe associated arm 28 and a retaining washer 40 is mounted on each endportion 34 outwardly of the corresponding arm 28 and secured in positionthereon by means of a suitable pin;42 removably passed through thecorresponding washer 40 and the associated end portion 34.

A rotatable body generally referred to by the reference numeral 44 isprovided and includes a central sleeve 46 journaled on the mid-portionof the axle member 32 between the arms 28. Spacer sleeves 48 areprovided on the opposite end portions of the axle member 32 between thecorresponding end portions of the sleeve 46 and the associatedanti-friction washer 38. The rotatable body 44 includes a pair ofpanel-like members 50 similar in configuration and secured to oppositeside portions of the sleeve 46 by means of suitable welding 52. Thepanel-like members 50 are reversed end to end relative to each other andare disposed in generally parallel relationship. Further, a pair ofspacer elements 54 are secured between each pair of adjacent ends of themembers 50 and remote end portions of the members 50 include laterallyoutwardly directed and curved terminal end portions 56 defining airimpact surfaces for imparting rotation to the rotatable body 44 inresponse to rapid movement of air through the sections 16 and 18, theend portions 56 being suitably apertured as at 58 and the other endportions of the members 50 also being suitably apertured as at 60 in asimilar manner.

The mounting frame 26 of the attachment 24 includes a pair of oppositelyopening U-shaped brace members 62 and 64 which rigidly interconnect theends of the arms 28 adjacent the flange portions 30 and a baffle plate66 including a base flange portion secured between the inner surfaces ofthe arms 28 adjacent the flange portions 30 and an inclined flangeportion 70 projecting outwardly of one side of the mounting frame 26acts as an air baflle to deflect portions of the air passing through thesection 16 from one side of the latter to the other.

The baflle plate 66 comprising the flange portions 68 and 70 laterallydeflects the air passing through the right hand side of the section 16as seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawings toward the left sides of thesections 16 and 18. In addition, it will be noted that the terminal endportions 56 are curved in such a manner that the rotatable body 44 willrotate in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2 of thedrawings. Thus, the baffle 66 supplements the action of the terminal endportions 56 and acts to further increase the counterclockwise rotationof the rotatable body 44 as illustrated in FIG- URE 2 of the drawings bydeflecting some of the move ment of the air through the right handportion of the section 18 over to the left hand portion thereof.

The free ends of the terminal end portions 56 are of sawtoothconfiguration as at 72, see FIGURE 5, and this sawtooth configurationand the apertures 58 and 60 as well as the high rotational speed of therotatable body 44 in response to rapid movement of an air and liquidfuel mixture passing through the sections 16 and 18 serve to causeportions of the rotatable body 44 to strike and thus break up dropletsof liquid fuel being carried in the airflow passing through the sections16 and 18. In addition, rotation of the body 44 at high speeds causes aturbulence in the adjacent area of the section 18, which turbulencefurther acts to break up droplets of liquid fuel remaining in the flowof air passing through the section 18.

It may theerfore be readily seen that the atomizing attachment of theinstant invention is operative to more finely atomize droplets of liquidfuel carried by an airstream moving through the sections 16 and 18.Therefore, the internal combustion engine will function more efficientlyby developing more power on a given amount of fuel and enable theassociated vehicle to travel greater distances on the same amount offuel. In addition, this more efficient operation of the associatedcombustion engine will greatly reduce those byproducts of combustionwhich support the formation of smog.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described andillustrated herein, it is to be noted that the rotatable body 44 may beconstructed of any suitable material such as metal or plastic orcombination of materials with sufficient strength and pliability to beformed into numerous shapes and designs adapted to be received invarious different air and fuel passages. In addition, the sleeve 46 maybe rotatable upon the shaft or axle member 32 or fixed in positionthereon with the axle member 32 rotatably supported from the supportarms 28. Of course, any suitable material may be utilized in theconstruction of the sleeve 46 and the shaft or axle member 32. Inaddition, although the rotatable body 44 has been illustrated anddescribed herein as constructed of a plurality of components securedtogether to form an integral unit, the various portions of the rotatablebody may be separable and the body may form any suitable number ofgenerally radially extending blade-like members such as the opposite endportions of the panellike members 50. Also, it is to be noted that apair of side by side contra-rotating rotatable bodies could be utilizedin lieu of the single body 44 and that the mounting frame 26 may also beconstructed of any suitable material. Finally, the atomizing attachmentof the instant invention may be utilized in many similar environmentsother than in conjunction with the air and fuel passages of an internalcombustion engine and for the purpose of providing a more desirable andcomplete mixture of any suitable combination of fuel and oxidizer. Inthis regard, if the atomizing attachment is not used in conjunction withan air and fuel passage of an internal combustion engine, an externalpower supply or driving motive force may be operatively coupled to therotatable body 44 in order that the latter may be utilized in thedesired manner without relying upon a rapid fluid flow there past forimparting rotation thereto.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with a passage member defining an air and fuelpassage, mounting means mounted in said passage, a rotary liquid fuelimpacting and atomizing body journaled from said mounting means in saidpassage with the axis of rotation of said body extending transversely ofand generally centered in said passage, said body being elongated andextending transversely of said axis, the latter being disposed generallycentrally intermediate the opposite ends of said body, said bodydefining a medial plane and including a transverse dimension extendingalong said axis considerably greater than the thickness of said body,and air deflecting baflle plate means supported from said mounting meansand including portions disposed in one side of said passage upstreamfrom said axis and inclined relative to the longitudinal center line ofsaid passage operative to deflect at least portions of the air and fuelmixture passing through said passage from said one side thereof to theother side thereof and thereby cause rotation of said body in onedirection in response to movement of said mixture through said passage.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body is defined by a pair ofpanel-like members spaced on opposite sides of the medial plane of saidbody.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the opposite ends of saidpanel-like members are perforated.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said medial plane of said body andsaid axis generally coincide.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said body includes a pair ofgenerally parallel panel-like members disposed on opposite sides of saidaxis, the opposite end portions of said panel-like members beingperforated.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said passage member includes apair of end abutted passage defining sections defining said passagemember, said mounting means includes a pair of generally parallelsupport arms including oppositely directed flange portions on one pairof corresponding ends disposed between opposing end faces of saidsections, said body being journaled from and 5 disposed between theother pair of corresponding ends of said arms.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said bafile plate is generallyplanar and is stationarily supported from said mounting means laterallyof said axis and disposed in a plane generally paralleling said axis butinclined at least slightly relative to a line extending between saidbaflie plate and said axis, said baffle plate being supported from saidone pair of corresponding ends of said arms.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Wysong 48--180 Wiese 48180 Laing.

Hashimoto 48-180 Trafi'ord et al. 48180 X JOSEPH SCOVRONEK, PrimaryExaminer.

